Fast Heart Beat

[Jean27]

Can anyone tell me if it is normal to have an increased heart beat if you are a woman  right before your menstrual cycle. This happens every month and I am wondering if it is a normal thing that happens in the body. I have begun to pay attention to it so I always notice it and wonder if it happens to other people.

Also can you tell me if an increased heart rate in the morning as you get out of bed in normal also. What rate would be too high and cause for concern?

Thanks so much, this forum is greatly appreciated for the informatation given. Jean

[keddy]

I had PSVT for 3 years, finally an ablation was the answer to my prayers.  This was almost 11 years ago. In the last year I have began to have skipped beats. This is worse during my period. My doctor has run tests and I am perimenopausal at 34. I now take Tenormin 25 mg for what I'm not sure and birth control pills to increase my estrogen. However, the symptoms are worse when I am on my period.

[LaurieD]

Since I posted that, I've found a wonderful EP doctor who told me these are triggers, NOT causes of this dreaded thing. He put me on a combo of atenolol 75 mg and verapamil 120 sustained release. It works wonderfully. I don't hardly feel them, and they aren't nearly as frequent. This weekend am upping the dosage of verapamil to 260, 120 SR twice a day, down to 50 mg of atenolol, and try to get off the atenolol completely within a week or two, just experimenting to see what gets rid of these completely at this point but I already feel a thousand percent better. I am firmly convinced we all need good EP doctors, whether we need ablations, surgery, medicine, or a combo, it's an EP we need, not a regular cardiologist, not a GP, but an electrophysiologist. He knew what the problem was right away and knew what to try. Good luck dodgy.

[dodgybeats]

Glad that you found the info helpful.  I think that there are many triggers for arrythmias, in my case I have narrowed it down to perimenstrual hormone levels, fatigue and alcohol consumption(unfortunately I now live like a nun). I am seeing my GP this week and will ask him also what he thinks.  I might go on the pill to see if that helps my dodgy beats.  Let us know how you go with your EP stuff.
cheers,
Penelope

[dodgybeats]

I can predict the stage of my menstrual cycle by the increase in my heart rate and PAC/PVCs.  I recently had a checkup with my cardiologist and he said that this was a common finding amongst his female patients, and suggested that the hormones involved may be arrythmogenic in some women (especially progesterone). He said this is more common in pre-menopausal women (a classic case is my mum who had never had a palpitation in her life until she became pre-menopausal).  Also, check out these scientific articles:

Cycling of inducibility of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in women and its implications for timing of electrophysiologic procedures.

Myerburg RJ, Cox MM, Interian A Jr, Mitrani R, Girgis I, Dylewski J, Castellanos A.

Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33136, USA.

Arrhythmias in women may be affected by phases of the menstrual cycle. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of perimenstrual clustering of spontaneous episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in women. It also tested the hypothesis that women with this temporal pattern of events have an altered probability of induction of paroxysmal SVT during electrophysiologic testing at higher estrogen states (midcycle or with estrogen replacement therapy) than at low estrogen states (perimenstrual or without estrogen replacement). A structured history of the relation of spontaneous paroxysmal SVTs to phases of the menstrual cycle was obtained prospectively among 42 women referred during a 3-year period. Patients with cyclical patterns of spontaneous tachycardias, who had had negative electrophysiologic studies at midcycle or while receiving estrogen replacement therapy, had repeat procedures (1) when premenstrual or at the onset of menses, or (2) after stopping estrogen replacement therapy. Seventeen of 42 consecutive female patients (40%) had histories of perimenstrual clustering of arrhythmias. Six women (4 with normal menstrual cycles, 2 on estrogen replacement therapy), who qualified for paired electrophysiologic studies because of a negative initial electrophysiologic study that included provocation with isoproterenol, had inducibility into SVTs during the second study. All 6 had dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal pathway physiology, 4 had AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) induced, 1 had both AVNRT and reciprocating AV tachycardias, and 1 had nonsustained AVNRT and an atrial tachycardia induced. Successful ablation procedures were performed in 5 of the 6 patients. Thus, among women with a history of perimenstrual clustering of paroxysmal SVT and among those receiving estrogen replacement therapy, scheduling of elective electrophysiologic procedures at times of low estrogen levels (premenstrual or off estrogen replacement therapy) may facilitate the probability of a successful procedure.

PMID: 10190518 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Cyclical variation in paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in women.

Rosano GM, Leonardo F, Sarrel PM, Beale CM, De Luca F, Collins P.

Istituto H San Raffaele, Rome, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in premenopausal women is often judged to be related to anxiety, and may be associated with the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to determine whether a cyclical variation of episodes of SVT exists and to correlate such variation with cyclical variation in plasma ovarian hormones. METHODS: 26 women (mean age 36 [SD 8] years; with paroxysmal SVT were screened; those with regular menses who experienced at least three episodes of paroxysmal SVT in two consecutive 48-hour ambulatory ECG recordings were included. 13 patients (aged 32 [6] years) met these criteria. Patients underwent 48-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring and determination of plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta and progesterone on day 7, 14, 21, and 28 of their menstrual cycle. FINDINGS: An increase in the number and duration of episodes of paroxysmal SVT was observed on day 28 as compared to day 7 of the menstrual cycle. A significant positive correlation was found between plasma progesterone and number of episodes and duration of SVT (5.6 [2.2] ng/mL; r=0.83, p=0.0004; and r=0.82, p=0.0005), while a significant inverse correlation was found between plasma oestradiol-17 beta and number of episodes and duration of SVT (155 [22] pg/mL; r=0.89, p<0.0001; and r=0.81, p=0.0007). INTERPRETATION: Women with paroxysmal SVT and normal menses exhibit a cyclical variation in the occurrence of the arrhythmia with their menstrual cycle. There is a close correlation between the episodes of paroxysmal SVT and the plasma concentrations of ovarian hormones. These data suggest that changes in plasma levels of ovarian hormones (and their interaction) may be of importance in determining episodes of arrhythmia in such patients. The mechanisms of these effects are unknown.

PMID: 8622333 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

interesting huh!

[LaurieD]

Very interesting information, thanks for posting it! I also have PSVT which is worse the last year or so. Apparently it's more than a coincidence that my menstrual periods have been heavier and probably perimenopausal since I turned 40 in January. Maybe this warrants further study by my EP into my hormone levels?? Right now he's saying I have a pulmonary vein problem causing the paroxymal atrial fibrillation as well as the PSVT. He says things like hormones are triggers, not causes, however...it may warrant further evaluation. Thanks for the input, I'm printing out these for my EP doc.

[Carol55]

I also forgot to add, that I, too, would have an increase in my
heart rate when I would awaken in the morning.  It almost always is from stress.  The more you anticipate it, on awakening each morning, the more it would happen.  Again, it was no cause for concern, but was very alarming at the time.
Good Luck to You.

[Carol55]

It is very normal for me to have an increase in heart rate and plenty of skipped beats right before my period.  This has been even more so since I entered my 40's.  I've had all the usual tests, and was found to have no problems.  All due to fluctuating
hormones.   Easing up on caffeine and sugar/stimulants helps alot.
Tiny

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear jmcky,
Palpitations may be influenced by hormonal cycles but I have not heard of heart rate being changed.  I would be interested to hear from other readers.

It is normal for heart rate to increase when arising from a sitting or lying position.  This normal response prevents lightheadedness and fainting whenever we get up.